Audio and Electrical Engineering
Building StewMac Ghost Drive and 2 Kings Boost Guitar Pedal Kits
Building Athens, OH famed retailer StewMac's best guitar pedal kits
Let Us Get Started
If you have electronics experience, building the kits is very easy. (Note, I added a build video below that goes through the entire build process) If you don't you can still have a successful build if you follow the very thorough directions carefully. Either way, I recommend having:
- A temperature controlled soldering station with a fine point tip. TubeDepot.com sells a Stahl for ~ $20 that is a great affordable option
- Fine/thin high quality electronics solder - I used Kester at 0.8mm
- A lead bender to make bends in the components that fit the board perfectly
- A magnifier of some sort to check component markings and to especciallly double check your soldering
- A digital multimeter - you could read the values of the small components, and some you will, but it is usually much faster just to use the DMM and you verify they work in the process
- If your DMM doesn't measure capacitors, then a dedicated capacitor meter - not all capacitors in my kits matched the markings, color and shape that is in the instructions. Measuring them let me know exactly what they were
Sort all your parts before you begin any work
Install parts in the exact order as listed in the instructions and mark off every item as it is installed. Note for beginners, the instructions show what parts of the board should be and already have been filled on every single step. So you can compare your board at any time. Make sure you are getting good, clean solder joints. There are lots of soldering tutorials on YouTube if you need some pro tips. Bad solder joints are your number one chance of failure or problems if you follow the instructions.
The 2 pedals stuffed in the case and ready for testing. They both worked first go with no issues. Yours will too if you are careful and follow the instructions.
The finished kits ready to rock~! Both sound great, I personally prefer the 2 Kings to the Ghost Drive. Either way, if you want a Klon or a King of Tone, or both, this is by far the most fun and afforable way to get one! The circuits are identical and use the exact same parts and op amps the originals do! Highly recommended. Visit StewMac.com.
I Have Built Many More For People
I have built and sold bunch of these kits now, and decided to add a build video that you can see below.
